Free VST for General MIDI playback?

[dentaku]

Windows 7 no longer has the old Microsoft GS Wavetable synth and I didn't really care because it's not something I needed but recently I downloaded a .mid file and I'd like to hear it with all the correct instruments in each track (if that makes sense).

Sonar has this little DXi that has all the regular 128 general MIDI instruments in it that sounds kind of like the regular Microsoft GS Wavetable synth. Is there a free VST that does the same thing?
This .mid file has 16 tracks and I don't want to hunt down which instrument to assign to all 16 of them when I could just stick in a VST that already knows what GM Program 73 is (for example) and assigns the correct instrument to it. I don't really care how cheesy it sounds

[dentaku]

I ended up looking up the default GM instrument program numbers on Wikipedia and assigning all the tracks to the correct instruments in East West Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra but I would still like to find something like TTS-1 in VST form.

It would also be nice to just find a way to get the MS Wavetable Synth to show up in Win7 actually. That would probably be even easier.

[zefm]

An easy way is to use a soundfont plugin like sfz or SoundFonter, and download a GM bank soundfont file to load in it. I think this soundfont (Roland Sound Canvas GM/GS Bank) is close to what you're after. ((alt. d/l site here))

[dentaku]

That old Roland Sound Canvas soundfont sounds horrible. Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for It's like going back in the past.

Soundfonter works.
I looked around a bit for soundfount players but was never successful in finding a good free one.

An easy way is to use a soundfont plugin like sfz, sfz+, Soundfonter, etc. and download a GM bank soundfont file to load in it. I think these two soundfonts are close to what you're after:

Roland Sound Canvas (tuned) GM Bank and Fluid (Release 3) GM/GS Bank)

and here's a List of soundfont plugins

[Idonotlikebroccoli]

I recommend the Luxonix Purity VSTi ($49)! Korg M1 is also good, but I like Purity's interface more.

Much better than dealing with soundfonts, and it's got -both- GM sounds as well as some pretty decent pads, at least for the retro platformgame-inspired music I make.

http://luxonix.com/purity.html

[yur2die4]

Ableton Live not supported??

[Idonotlikebroccoli]

I don't know why it says that - I've used it in several Live 9.1.1 projects on Windows 7.

If you're having problems, I also like the Korg M1:Legacy, although the interface isn't that good, and the license control is unreliable for me - http://www.korg.com/us/products/softwar ... ollection/

[mattb]

this article put me on another track as I didnt fancy paying $125 for Roland VST and Im on the Mac.: http://synthesizerwriter.blogspot.in/20 ... -bank.html

basically Apple provide a built in sampler AudioUnit called DLSMusicDevice, and this can use the built in QuickTime Instruments. It can also easily load .sf2 GM banks, some are listed here http://www.synthfont.com/links_to_soundfonts.html

[Alfonx]

Hi all!

I came accross this thread because i am looking for a easy "General Midi Solution" (=virtual device or vst) in Ableton Live 9 and Windows 10.
I just want to load one MIDI-File and play it in Live. I allready know about the two types of midi files and in my example i have a midi-file SMF1 or 2 with separate tracks.

I found a Soundfont Player (64 bit): sforzando v1.933 and imported some SF-Libraries (e.g. "Arachno SoundFont - Version 1.0.sf2").
But i have to use one VST-Instrument for each channel/Track in Ableton Live and i have to set up the program number manually for each Track.

Then i found CoolSoft_VirtualMIDISynth 2.3.1 which is a cool general midi replacement for Windows.
I can route all midi data from Ableton to the Virtual Midi-Device but i cant hear any sound.
I changed my Audio device from ASIO to MME/WDM but i hear: nothing.
But i can playback the midi with "Windows Media Player" (because the coolsoft Virtual Midi Synth replaces the "Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth" with Soundfonts you can import) - the Instruments sounds very great (with Soundfonts "Arachno SoundFont - Version 1.0.sf2") - much better than the "Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth"!!!!


I can still use the "Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth" as midi-output in Ableton Live - but i hear: nothing.

I tested the virtual Roland Sound Canvas / VST - but this got no program changes, thats to bad
So i have to load the VST for each Track and configure the right program number....


Is anybody here who has a solution?


I am thinking about
... buying a used Roland SC55
... using my other DAW REAPER for import/easy listening, because in REAPER i can use the "Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth" (even if my audio device is set to ASIO) and then i would export the Midi-Tracks i want and import them in Ableton and configure the right Instrument manually..
... finding a good GM-Playback solution in Ableton Live some day

Regards
Alfonx

[Alfonx]

Hi all!
I just found a good solution:

I am now using BassMidi VSTi 1.2 ( falcosoft.hu ) within Ablton live 9 (64 bit).
BassMidi is a great vst32/64 SoundFont Player (for free).
I’m using the player with SoundFont „Arachno“.
I add the vst instrument BassMidi on Track 1.
Then i load the midi-file to Track 2-15.
Then i map every Track (2-15) Output to: BassMidi.
I map the Output Channel of Track 2 to Channel 1 of Bassmidi.
I map the Output Channel of Track 3 to Channel 2 of BassMidi.
And so on. Just the Drum Track should mapped to Output Channel 10.
See here:
http://blog.ultimateoutsider.com/2015/0 ... on_23.html

So i am very satisfied with that vst now.

Regards,
Alfonx